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The Vodka Ad Test

Or a Quick Guide to Evaluating Periodical Articles

Flip your magazine or journal over. What kind of ad is on the back cover? If there is a vodka ad, car ad, or cigarette ad, this may not be considered a scholarly source. But let’s go on to more definitive measures…

A Scholarly Periodical Article has the Following Features:

Bibliography, footnotes, or endnotes. This provides evidence of the research that was conducted to produce the article.

Written by expert(s) in the field. Usually there is a paragraph of information that describes the author’s credentials and current position.

Published by Associations, Research Institutes, University Presses.

“Peer reviewed.” Refers to the policy of experts in the field examining journal articles before acceptance for publication.

Written in the jargon of the field for scholarly readers (professors, researchers or students.)

Illustrations that support the text, such as tables of statistics, graphs, maps, or photographs

Popular Magazines On the Other Hand:

No footnotes or references.

Written by journalists who are usually not experts in the field.

Easy to read. Intended for lay audience. Informative and entertaining.